Speeches

Tēnā koe e Te Māngai o Te Whare. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. That speech from the Hon Paula Bennett is a classic example of the Government's bombast on the economy. We repeatedly hear the Government saying what a wonderful economic manager it is, but we should remind the Government that we have just had a second quarter of negative, real terms, per capita growth—that is two terms of decline in per capita GDP.

BARRY COATES (Green): Tēnā koe e Te Māngai. I rise to speak at the final reading of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill. I want to first start by saying why this bill is important. I think this is actually one of the most important bills that we have had through Parliament in the term that I have been here, since last October. I think this bill has been far too long in coming. We have to remind ourselves that money-laundering is about how criminals hide their money. It is about ways in which illicit money can be washed clean.

Kia ora, Mr Chair. I have the great pleasure of talking about a subject that is near to my heart. I want to talk about overseas aid, and it is a subject that we do not talk enough about in this House. In particular, the mission for New Zealand giving aid to foreign countries is around the reduction of poverty in those countries. It is about sustainable development. These are really important goals in our troubled world, where we often forget that much of the world is still struggling with the basics of life.